Battle of Cajamarca
1532 CE · Cajamarca, Peru
The Battle of Cajamarca was fought in 1532 CE in Cajamarca, Peru between Spanish conquistadors vs the Inca Empire; Spanish victory; the Inca emperor was captured and later executed.
Battle of Cajamarca: quick facts
- Date
- 1532 CE
- Location
- Cajamarca, Peru
- Belligerents
- Spanish conquistadors vs the Inca Empire
- Commanders
- Francisco Pizarro vs Atahualpa
- Result
- Spanish victory; the Inca emperor was captured and later executed.
- Era
- 🌎 Latin American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Battle of Cajamarca?
Francisco Pizarro's small band of Spanish conquistadors ambushed and captured the Inca Emperor Atahualpa in the city plaza of Cajamarca. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Spanish used cavalry, firearms, and surprise to rout the Inca forces and seize their emperor, effectively beginning the conquest of the Inca Empire.
Did you know?
Atahualpa offered to fill a room once with gold and twice with silver as ransom for his release. The Spanish collected the treasure — estimated at 6 tons of gold — but executed him anyway.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Cajamarca on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.